Driving from the fly bridge or not?

Art

Sorry I didn't consider opening the hatches to attain standing room. All my boats that that would be a possibility had too much stuff to move to do so.
Amazing how our mind works based on out limited experience.
Thanks.

Greetings,
Mr. Bf. I think Diesel Ducks have a stand up engine room as well as Cheoy Lee 46's. A number of Defevers are VERY close to stand up. All less than 60'.

I sit down in my engine compartment, usually on a battery box, with unlimited headroom. There are three hatches over the engine compartment: one on both sides of the engine and one directly over the engine. The carpet is easily tossed aside. My engine mechanic likes the access. He won't work on the engine if it is hot.

On the rare occasions where I enter the space while underway, I turn the engine off. Switching among the fuel tanks is done about every 8 or 12 hours of operation, almost exclusively when moored.

door open to engine room, visual coolant chek, oil level chek while engine is running (picture won't let you read the stick)

Ted

Bigsfish said:

BandB

Could you explain your procedure when using Flir? While I have Flir in not sure of how to use it in the e give room.

Thanks.

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We fell in love with Flir when the guy was doing our home inspection as we made the purchase in 2012. He did find some A/C leaks and one plumbing issue with it. I am not by any means the expert in it's use. However, you're looking primarily for temperature differences. We use it to check hoses to and from water tanks and holding tank. Also to check the A/C system. We've even aimed it at fuel and water tanks but none are leaking so don't know how well it would detect a leak. In testing it on engines we felt with gloves for any connections with leaks and then checked the same area with the Flir. It did show them but I don't know that I would have realized it or detected them with it. It was like detecting a baby in an ultrasound and you see it only after the doctor points it out. But we do find it useful on other hoses, tanks and equipment. For instance a pinhole in the hose from the watermaker to the water tank, it showed before we would have had any idea.

Before anyone gets carried away, we don't obsess on these checks and we don't do everything every time. Still we like to at least visit the ER every two hours and do a few basic things. Occasionally we find relatively minor things that we can address easily and never reach the point they'd show up on gauges or camera. If we were making a three hour run we wouldn't check on the way, but when you are making a 50 hour run, we think it's worthwhile and, in that situation, we have enough people aboard to easily do it.

psneeld said:

Some boats without a flybridge are miserable to drive due to bad lower station visibility, some are great from the lower station.

Until a particular boat is decided upon...all just wild guess opinions.

Is the 40 comfy driving from below?

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Yes, and if you're are on a plane, lower station visibility can be a real concern for near in objects.

Mr. RT

Since you are a bastion of knowledge I'll add a couple of more parameters: top speed about 20 knts plus and draft of 5 feet or less. Now go find that rabbit (pun for Easter). Have fun.

Thanks.

BandB

Thanks but to go further, as I understand Flir and the reason I bought it was to find a heat signature. I can see finding an airleak in a duct system. However if a fitting on the engine is leaking wouldn't the fluid that is leaking be the same temp as the engine block? Wouldn't the tempatures be the same? Perhaps I don't understand Flir.

Thanks.

Bigsfish said:

Art

Sorry I didn't consider opening the hatches to attain standing room. All my boats that that would be a possibility had too much stuff to move to do so.
Amazing how our mind works based on out limited experience.
Thanks.

Click to expand...

When we purchased our Tolly the orig owner had too much "stuff" in the way for easily opening hatches in salon sole. I quickly rearranged, made things more comfortable and placed nice blue throw rug over the hatches... which is EZ to drape aide for opening both hatches; whenever person's are not enjoying morning coffee inside while at anchor - such as in photo!

On our Krogen 42 we have done three things to make engine room inspections easier.
We have installed a portlight in the engine room bulkhead adjoining the companionway between the saloon and the master stateroom. There are three steps down. Thus we can look into the engine room underway. We turn the engine room lights on underway for this purpose.

We have hinged both hatches to the engine room so they can be easily opened and held open by latches.

We have fabricated and installed ladders into the engine room beneath both access hatches.

In most cases looking into the engine room through the portlight is all I need as I can clearly see the main engine. In all cases underway I look first to make sure there is a not a fire.

FLIR, Very good at allowing you to see the variations in temperature that it sees. Never used a marine application though. Is it a handheld or a mounted device?


Edit: not sure why pic will not post. Posted but can't rotate it. ugh.

Art

Is there much of a chance of those hatches moving quickly and doing damage of crew or furniture?

My Hatteras had hatches that were hinged but moving carpet and furniture was a real pain so I used the door entry forward and crawled on my knees.

Thanks.

Bigsfish said:

BandB

Thanks but to go further, as I understand Flir and the reason I bought it was to find a heat signature. I can see finding an airleak in a duct system. However if a fitting on the engine is leaking wouldn't the fluid that is leaking be the same temp as the engine block? Wouldn't the tempatures be the same? Perhaps I don't understand Flir.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

You're 100% correct in describing it. I didn't think you'd see the fitting leak either. However, knowing already what you had and were looking for (basically cheating), you could detect the drop off as the fluid was cooler than the engine block. I never would have detected it though just using the Flir. Only saw it when pointed out to me. The heat signature is the real thing though whether it's liquid or air or whatever it is, just detecting a difference where there shouldn't be one.

Plane Nauti said:

FLIR, Very good at allowing you to see the variations in temperature that it sees. Never used a marine application though. Is it a handheld or a mounted device?


Edit: not sure why pic will not post. Posted but can't rotate it. ugh.

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We have mounted Flir for operation of the boat but the same handheld as at home for just checking around the boat. Certainly not essential but fun to play around with sometimes. The things the inspector found in our home though, we wouldn't have found otherwise. Then there are inspectors who swear it's all a sham. I don't know their logic.

Thanks BandB

Since I have Flir I'll try it but I won't put a lot of faith in my ability to find the temperature difference.

Bigsfish said:

Thanks BandB

Since I have Flir I'll try it but I won't put a lot of faith in my ability to find the temperature difference.

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I wouldn't either on the engine fittings or anything like that. But AC and Water and even Fuel leaks you might.

FlyWright said:

Very well said, Howard. Some ERs are not conducive to safe checks while underway. .........
A couple video cameras provide some visual reassurance that all appears normal. Maybe it's a false sense of security, but it seems to help me.

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Me too, skipper! I boat off shore and my boat is not conducive to hourly ER checks. I check before & after a run (no more than an 8 hour duration.) ER camera(s) are a must for me.

BandB

Certainly another tool to consider.

Thanks.

Bigsfish said:

Art

Is there much of a chance of those hatches moving quickly and doing damage of crew or furniture?

My Hatteras had hatches that were hinged but moving carpet and furniture was a real pain so I used the door entry forward and crawled on my knees.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

During travel to any extent furniture and throw rug is already moved out of way. I don't pull up both hatches at once while boat is in motion. I do pull em both up at anchor or dock. While moving...First hatch with hand on it then the other. Shine down with spotlight and also check temps with heat gun. Smelling is s big part of safety. If too rough water conditions... the engine check-up waits.

Codger2 said:

Me too, skipper! I boat off shore and my boat is not conducive to hourly ER checks. I check before & after a run (no more than an 8 hour duration.) ER camera(s) are a must for me.

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It was your camera installation in SeaHorse II that showed me the benefit of ER cams.

Greetings,
Mr. Bf. Oh great! Changing the barometers. And for your information, I'm NOT a bastion. Me ma and pa were married for 2 years before I was deceived. So there!

A boat with only a pilothouse helm, only a very bad design would have poor forward visibility. More likely boats with flybridges would have poor lower-helm visibility. Too bad many have to compromise visibility between dual helms.

Mr. RT

LOL

Oh, I can't change the parameters?

Not sure about your me ma and pa, I wasn't there are neither were you! LMAO

FlyWright said:

It was your camera installation in SeaHorse II that showed me the benefit of ER cams.

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And your set-up gives an added incentive to view what's coming from behind.

I just saw this in another thread. Since I have two heavy engine boxes, this seems like an elegant solution to allow a quick view into the engine compartment from the center hatches. Four high intensity LED lights in the corners, maybe some of those round spot mirrors strategically located . . . . just a thought. A daily physical check down in the pit, occasional visuals through clear center hatches and full alarms while running. I think this is about the best I can do with this particular boat and my solo boating lifestyle.

Or

Maybe time for a new girlfriend, one who is a former Navy or CG engineman or machinest's mate who just loves boating, and is petite.

Bigsfish said:

Art

Is there much of a chance of those hatches moving quickly and doing damage of crew or furniture?

My Hatteras had hatches that were hinged but moving carpet and furniture was a real pain so I used the door entry forward and crawled on my knees.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

We also had a Hatteras, where you had to go on your hands and knees, under the steps in the galley, or pull the floor up, to view. We realized quickly that we bought the wrong boat. After that mess up, we bought a defever, with a walk in engine room.

To each his own I guess, but I prefer options. If I ever purchase another boat, it will definitely have a flybridge. I spend all day cooped up in an office, so I'd rather not be inside while I boat. I love the visibility a flybridge provides--such a better experience in my opinion. I have an outside helm and use it exclusively unless the weather is foul. A bimini top does a great job keeping the sun off.

Hotrod said:

We also had a Hatteras, where you had to go on your hands and knees, under the steps in the galley, or pull the floor up, to view. We realized quickly that we bought the wrong boat. After that mess up, we bought a defever, with a walk in engine room.

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Conrats on getting away from boat with "crawl-space" engine compartment having hard to access/open overhead hatches!

For size boat we currently require to suite our current limited-use boating lifestyle... 34' Tolly tri cabin perfectly fits our needs. Unfortunately, in that size range there is simply no boat I've seen having a walk-in engine room; if there was we'd probably have it. That said, I much appreciate the exceptional roominess of easy to open, hinged, large dual hatches to engine compartment in center of our Tolly's salon sole that enables me with nearly instant access for complete standup engine-work procedures.

I looked at plenty of 34 to 55' boats that have limited access to "hard to open" hatches to engines... but that do have small "crawl through" access doors where you can stay on your knees crawling around and bumping your head a bunch. Either I have standup head room via easy open, considerable large engine hatches directly over the engines or a walk in engine room - because - I will not own a boat and that forces me to crawl around inside a confined, crawl-space-only engine compartment! - Period!

Hotrod said:

............ After that mess up, we bought a defever, with a walk in engine room.

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Yea, but walk in engine rooms are hard to find on 28' trawlers.

I have two fairly large hatches in the floor and I can sit inside and get to the important parts but it would take a fool to go in there with the engine funning.

After crawling on my hands and knees, banging my head more than once, I literally got struck, in the engine room, doing a strainer rebuild. Sat there for 3 hours , till my wife came , and helped me out That did it!